not pointing to show things
How therapy addresses a child not pointing to show things
Therapy addresses absent declarative (showing) pointing by building the underlying joint-attention scaffold — shared gaze, social referencing, turn-taking and the motivation to share interest — through naturalistic, play-based routines rather than drilling the gesture alone. Prompting is faded toward spontaneous communication and reinforced by the shared social moment. A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.
When a child does not yet point to share what delights them, therapy gently builds the joint-attention bridge between two minds — one shared moment at a time.
In short
Protodeclarative pointing — pointing to show rather than to request — is a keystone of early social communication, typically emerging around 9–14 months. Therapy addresses its absence not by drilling the gesture in isolation, but by building the underlying joint attention scaffold: shared gaze, social referencing, turn-taking and the motivation to share interest with another person. A clinician-led plan targets the prerequisite skills in naturalistic, play-based routines and grades up toward spontaneous, communicative pointing.The therapeutic approach
- Establish the prerequisites first. Before declarative pointing emerges, a child needs eye gaze coordination, alternating attention between an object and a person, and the social drive to share. Therapy assesses which of these are present and targets the weakest link rather than the surface gesture.
- Naturalistic developmental behavioural intervention (NDBI). Within child-led play, the therapist engineers high-interest, slightly surprising moments (a bubble, a wind-up toy, a jack-in-the-box) and models showing/pointing, pausing expectantly to invite the child's response. Following the child's lead protects intrinsic motivation.
- Shaping and prompting hierarchy. Index-finger isolation may be built via cause-and-effect toys, then prompted points are faded from physical to gestural to expectant-wait, transferring control to the child. The reinforcer is the shared social moment, not a tangible — this is what differentiates declarative from imperative pointing.
- Responsive caregiver coaching. Parents are coached to comment rather than quiz, to position items within shared visual fields, and to respond warmly and immediately when the child orients or gestures, so pointing becomes communicatively worthwhile.
- Generalisation. Targets are practised across people, settings and novel objects so the gesture functions as flexible communication, not a trained response.
When to refer
Absent declarative pointing by ~15–18 months, alongside limited eye contact, reduced response to name, or sparse gesture use, warrants a structured developmental-communication assessment. Because reduced joint attention is an early correlate of several developmental profiles, route promptly for clinician evaluation rather than a wait-and-see plan when multiple markers co-occur.The Pinnacle way
A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from an app or checklist. The AbilityScore® structured clinician-administered assessment maps a child's joint-attention and gesture repertoire to shape an individualised plan, delivered through our speech and language therapy pathway. [Explore Pinnacle Blooms Network](/) for how we support early social communication across 70+ centres.Trusted sources
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidance on early social communication and joint attention; American Academy of Pediatrics developmental surveillance milestones (HealthyChildren.org); WHO healthy early-childhood development framing.Next step — Concerned a child isn't yet pointing to share? Book a developmental-communication assessment with a Pinnacle clinician.
This is general information, not a diagnosis — a clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.
What to watch
Watch for absent showing-pointing by ~15–18 months alongside limited eye contact, reduced response to name, sparse gestures, or little interest in sharing attention — co-occurring markers warrant prompt clinician assessment rather than waiting.
Try this at home
Comment, don't quiz: when something delightful happens, point to it yourself, look between the child and the object, and pause warmly — model sharing rather than testing.
Trusted sources
Developed by SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network · Last reviewed 2026-06-10 · reviewed every 365 days
This is general information, not a diagnosis. A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between protoimperative and protodeclarative pointing?
Protoimperative pointing requests an object ('give me that'); protodeclarative pointing shares interest or directs another's attention ('look at that!'). Declarative pointing reflects joint attention and is the more sensitive early social-communication marker, so therapy specifically targets sharing motivation, not just the gesture.
When should declarative pointing typically emerge?
Pointing to show usually appears around 9–14 months. Its absence by approximately 15–18 months, particularly with other reduced social markers, warrants a structured developmental-communication assessment.
Does therapy just teach the child to point?
No. Effective therapy builds the prerequisite skills — coordinated gaze, alternating attention and the social drive to share — within natural play, so pointing emerges as genuine communication rather than a trained, prompt-dependent response.